Now that Thanksgiving has passed, Philadelphia has brought back some of tourists’ favorite holiday attractions for this year! While this list won’t give you all of the events you can visit in Philadelphia (because there are a lot), I’ll be listing the ones I have gone to and a personal review of them. Personally, I love all of these places and I can’t wait to visit the “City of Brotherly Love” again!
- Christmas village
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This German Christmas market has so much to offer. There are well over a hundred local artisans and craftsmen there selling their products to the public, but it is all an open space so you get to look around anywhere you’d like!
They have fascinating ornaments, jewelry, clothing and more. There’s also food and drink available too in case you need a snack break from all the Christmas activities you planned out for the day. You can also take pictures at the famous LOVE sign located in the park.
Overall, this is a great place to look around and see what local, small businesses have to offer.
- Ice skating at dilworth park
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Along the western side of City Hall in Center City, there is an ice skating rink where you can pay under $20 for one adult for the entire experience. It is honestly worth it because ice skating in a big city made me feel like I was in a movie. With friends, especially, it’s a lot of fun.
In order to control the rink capacity and meet the demand of how many people want to skate, there is a 90-minute limit on the ice. I feel like this is more than enough time, and you really get your money’s worth.
- The Comcast Holiday Spectacular
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Whenever I go to Philadelphia around Christmas time, this show is a must-watch. Although, it is the same show every year, it is a show projected onto the wall inside of the Comcast Center and it never gets old. It is a free, 15 minute experience that plays multiple times a day.
It features performances from the Philadelphia Ballet with classic holiday songs as well as a POV sleigh ride at the end. I’m excited to go back to this show because it was held outside last year due to COVID restrictions and it was pretty cold, but now it will be back inside! When you’re walking in the city around winter time, it’s nice to go to indoor places to take a break from the bitterness of the outdoors.
- Macy’s christmas light show
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Since 1956, this light show has been a staple to Christmas in Philadelphia. It features over 100,000 LED lights and an 34,500 LED Christmas tree. The board behind the tree shows holiday scenes and the characters dancing along to holiday tunes.
The tunes come from the Wanamaker Organ, which is the largest playable instrument in the world; it has 28,575 pipes! The show plays multiple times a day, and it is a place where many people go to enjoy the sights and sounds of the holidays.
- Dickens village
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I love going to Dickens Village. This is also located inside the same Macy’s as the Christmas Light Show and it is such an awesome time. Telling the story of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” a walkthrough experience set with animated dolls is displayed.
Even the line to get into the actual showing is interesting, as it shows some of Charles Dickens’ work and excerpts from the story. As you walk through, you meet the characters, read parts of the story and listen to all of the sounds happening around you, which makes you feel like you’re actually in the story.
It’s a great experience for kids and adults.
Happy holidays and enjoy all of the Philadelphia activities they have to offer!